Jure Stojan, 2003

Jure Stojan first created JY Klin for a student magazine in Ljubljana, Slovenia. ’It was borne out of my frustration with layout [programs] and their taste for messing with decent fonts (making the headline occupy the entire column width at any cost, for instance). Therefore, I designed a “heavy duty” display font—it can be extended up to 120 per cent without any loss in quality (it is fairly condensed, so no one could think of squeezing it any further). I even used the font, stretched by the very 120 per cent, for 10 point text and the result was surprisingly legible (given some peculiar details prominent at display size).’
   With a low contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes, and distinctive character forms, JY Klin is a crisp and useful display typeface—and, at text sizes and extended an extra 20 per cent, it is an innovative solution to the 21st-century typographic habits.
   Klin is JY&A Fonts’ first all-new OpenType release.

The meaning of Klin
A word no longer used in its original, denotative form, klin is still in use in everyday Slovenian, including in some popular expressions. There are definitions including wedge, peg, pin and spike, but Stojan believes most Slovenians know the word to be akin to the infinitives to give up or cures—used in the sense of drinks cure hangovers.

140 JY Klin Roman, Alternatives $65

140 JY Klin OpenType $49

Top There are distinct design differences between the standard Klin and the Alternative version, but both are incorporated in the OpenType version. Above left Even letters such as the b show differences, with the Alternative one bearing a more flowing stem and, therefore, cursive characteristics. Above right The roman version has lining numerals; Alternatives has oldstyle. Below Unlike most fonts, Stojan’s Klin can be stretched without loss in legibility at text sizes.

Other prices
Single fonts $39 each except for OpenType, at $49.

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font, typeface, elegant yet restrained, typestyle, fonts